BBC go 360 for Rio 2016

Tonight is the opening ceremony for the Olympics in Rio, Brazil, which promises lots of excitement just like London 2012. BBC have embraced the modern era of VR technology by bringing various key events over the course of the Olympics in glorious 360 degrees. The coverage can be streamed through the BBC Sport 360 app or via the BBC Taster website.

“The BBC delivered the first truly digital Olympics for London 2012 and we’ve continued to develop and improve our digital service ever since,” said Jusin Barritt, executive product manager for BBC Sport.

“Now, we’re pushing the boundaries once again to bring people closer to the action than ever before. Not everyone can make it to Rio to cheer on Team GB so we’re looking forward to giving sport fans the next best thing.”

“This is a hugely exciting next step in our 360 and virtual reality experiments,” added Will Saunders, editorial lead of BBC Taster. “There’s huge potential for immersive video in sport coverage, as well as many other genres, and we want to explore that potential directly with audiences.

“That’s why we experiment out in the open, so people can tell us what works, what doesn’t and whether there’s an appetite for more. We can’t wait to hear what people think.”